The Warning, Chapter the Sixth
Watson's POV
I was gently awakened by the scents and sounds of Mrs.
Hudson's cooking. Lazily, I lay in bed listening to the
clinking of dishes and savoring the delicious aromas wafting
up the stairs. Presently I heard the soft sound of footfalls
ascending the stairs. Mrs. Hudson knocked upon the
bedroom door just as I finished tying the belt of my dressing-
gown.
"Oh, doctor, Mr. Holmes said that you had been attacked
….." She caught me up in a loose embrace. Apparently she
did not want to cause me any discomfort.
"Oh, Mrs. Hudson, you are a sight for sore eyes. How was
your visit? Your sister is doing well, I trust?"
"My sister had a beautiful baby boy, and she named him
after you.....Evan John Wilson. That young one is so cute,
like a chubby little angel. My visit was just the getaway I
needed."
She was guiding me to the table as she spoke.
"Now, then doctor, just sit down and enjoy your breakfast.
If you need anything, just holler like Mr. Holmes does." She
chuckled and pulled my chair out for me. I lowered myself
gently into it. " How are you feeling, Doctor?" She fixed me
with a look that could penetrate metal. "And remember its me
you're talking to."
"I'm doing better, Mrs. Hudson. Its coming along slowly
but surely. Dr. Palmer's ministrations are helping
immeasurably- he stops be every day to clean my back with
antiseptic and change the bandages."
I fixed her with an equally piercing gaze. "Holmes has
been telling me you have got yourself a beau. Come on now,
out with it. Tell me about this fellow. And don't forget who
YOU are talking to." We both chuckled, but she blushed a
fetching shade of pink, and lowered her gaze.
"Well, there isn't really very much to tell, Doctor. Mr.
Holmes told you how we met by the carrot stand on market
day, didn't he? Ah, I thought so. Well, he took me to the
theater, and dropped me off at the train station. He's a perfect
gentleman, he is. Held every door we came to for me. He's
even brought me flowers and held my seat for me and pushed
me to the table. I just can't wait for you to meet him. He's
taking me out tomorrow night, so you will see him when he
comes to pick me up."
She had been serving out while she was talking.
"I cooked your favorites, now eat up."
It took a while, but under her no-nonsense but caring gaze,
I finished the eggs, toast, bacon, and tea that she had set out
for me.
"Oh, yes, Mr. Holmes went out early with Inspector
Lestrade. He said that they would both be here for supper."
There was a knock at the front door. "That will be Dr.
Palmer. He comes about the same time every day. I'm so
glad that he's helping you."
As she spoke, she had been heading toward the door. She
descended the stairs, and I heard her admit my fellow medico.
After some chatter, I heard footsteps on the stairs and Dr.
Palmer entered.
"And how are you feeling on this beautiful day?"He was
attired in a neat gray suit with a maroon tie. As he spoke, he
put the things he would need on the table.
"Much better, thanks to your kind attention."
"It is not a problem but tell me, does this type of thing
happen often?"
"No. I have been shot, stabbed, poisoned, and beaten, but
never before have I been used as stationary."
After the good doctor had finished cleaning and bandaging
my back, I felt in need of a nap. When I woke up, the clock
told me that almost four hours had passed.
A few minutes later, Holmes and Lestrade walked in.
" Well, Holmes, how did things go on your end?"